RIOT IN FIJI.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2058, 1 May 1907, Page 1

RIOT IN FIJI.

11 TROUIMjIC WITH INDIANS. __ Press Association. AuCIvLAND, ycstertlav. v Details of the riot at. DftTTa.sa, Fiji, received l),v the s.s. Tahme, show that on April .15 fifty-two Indians proceedtl ed to the. police station at Dabasa and I comgila ined to the .Magistrate that j the agent in India recruited them under false promises, that they were to work for the (lovernmoot as soldiers and policemen, and to do similar work for the smear company. The ’ Magistrate promised to ascertain the terms of their agreement, and advised them meanwhile to return to work | and await, the result of his enquiries. ' The Magistrate also promised to en--1 quire into their complaint with regard to the rations. Some of the men who-expressed the intention to return to work, were assaulted by ten of their companions. AVarrants were issued for the arrest of the assailants. The arrest was made by armed police. The remainder of the strikers followed to the police station. Inspec- ! tor Uoldero and six constables marchcd the remainder back to the plants- ( tions with fixed bayonets. On arriv- ( ing at the plnntati oils the Indians I | armed themselves with knives, hoes, and spades, and prepared to resist the joliee. They were warned to halt. I but continued to advance. A few shots were fired. Three Indians were wounded, one being shot through the leg,another through the arm, and one J in the hand. The police arrested five * Indians, and took them to the station. d An eye-witness of the shooting inci 1 dent at -Labasa says that about 1J f a.m. he was near the Punjabis’ lines u at Lahasa. Sub-Inspector Holdero t with a large number of Indians and e Fijian police, armed with rifles, with t ‘fixed bayonets, and about 40 or oO t natives in war paint, with clubs and « spears came to the lines and rounded t up about .100 of the Punjabis. The e men were met by several Europeans H on horseback, including a man sup- ) posed to he Mr. Duncan, the sugar n company’s manager, who tried to rea* p. son with them. Tt is said that four or live Punjabis went forward as b: spokesmen, and said they would not ai work any more. Mr Duncan put his n< hand on the shoulder of one Punjabi ti whilst speaking. The Punjabi made sc

« movement as if to draw his sheatliknife. Fearing bloodshed, someone gave tile order either to got ready or to fire. The result was the rides spoke and_ four men were injured. One man was shot through the arm. He kept up his hand to shield his face, with the result a bullet cut off his little finger and grazed his forehead. A second man received a bullet in the thigh, and a third in the calf. A fourth man received a bayonet wound in the shoulder. Some' of the ringleaders were seized, and tinrest went back to the lines. The sugar company’s manager then consulted with Mr Russell, immigration inspector. Air. Duncan told Mr Russell that he would have nothing more to do with the Indians; they would be taken hack to Suva, as thevj . ri-KC-n—'ETI U-I I— a-gT'rr-,i!C 11 1 . The 1,,,,.. -4- 1. 1. vr-.-gi-- — Various reasons are assigned for their conduct. One was that they were put on task work, and out of 8d per day had 4d deducted for rations. Their flour was also stopped. The main cause, however, seems to he the men object to work on the oa nofields. Most of them are ex-soldiers of the Indian arniy. One was a sergeant. They expected to he put on police and similar duties in Fiji.

WARD’S PUFF. I a I c Press Association. WELLINGTON, last night. j The following further cable mes- . sages were supplied to the Press As- I sociatiou by the Government: — I LONDON, April 29. f Sir .1. G. Ward, speaking at the I Imperial Conference on Friday, said I New Zealand was in favor of an idtimate Court of Appeal in the United Kingdom, whether the Privy Council ( as at present constituted or an Im- ( perial Court of Appeal. Various ( suggestions had been made by differ- t out colonies, and perhaps the simpler - course would he for the Home autho- j rities to prepare a draft Order-in- ( Council consolidating the existing one with such alterations and sim- | plifications as were deemed reason- , able, and forward the draft to the , respective Governments to confer ( thereon, and make a common report ( as alterations were desired or amen- . tied. In this way the rules would be common to all appeals, and. special rules dealing with appeals from spe- , cified colonies, where special rules were necessary, could be provided. Sir J. G. Ward supported an appeal Court being established for South Africa. He also favored shortening the delay of the present system. He also urged the necosity for providing that a Colonial Judge should sit on flip Privy Council. One great defect of the Privy Council, as at present constituted, is that though in the case of a New Zealand appeal they decided according to New Zealand law, yet they had before them only such porting of that } a !Y 8S presented by counsel ; hence, when argu ment was over Their Lordships may apply some rule of English law which was repealed in New 'Zealand, or omit to apply some rule of New Zealand law. This had actually occurred; and the result was very unsatisfactory. To prevent a .reeuwence he suggested that in the case of every appeal from a colony a Judge of the Supreme Court of that colony should sit witli Their Lordships; but with* out taking part in li, « argument or decision. His function would lie to supply full information on colonial law, and points of difference between it and English law. In most, if not all the colonies, the number of Judges was sufficient to enable one to be on leave, and arrangements could, lie thought, bo made for him to he in touch with England so as to he available. If colonial Judges could have a permanent position in such cases to sit with equality on the Bench all the more desirable; hut for a commencement his first suggestion could, he thought, be given effect to. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the course of a speech, said the 1 Pi ivy Council placed tho best services possible in dealing with colonial ' appeals, and were anxious to do all in their power to promote the satisi factory working of the Privy Coun- ■ cil work. He pointed out thsji whe- ■ ther settled by the Lords or the Privy Council was not a material i consequence, as the same men cpn- - stitnted both. He favored an Ap- : peal Court for South Africa', and said ■ he would carefully consider the whole - question of consolidating the exist- :• ing rules. He was in favor of the • suggestion of Sir J. G. Ward re a f colonial Judge sitting with Their. 1 Lordships, agd taking part when a colonial appeals were dealt with. He s said that anything that could assist c the Privy Council in improving the working of the Court would bo hail-

a, el with satisfaction. No efforts wen lie to 1)0 spared by the Judges now, am he assured the Conference find every effort would lie made to prevent delay, and said the work at present was in a more forward condition. Sir J. G. Ward lias represented to the Dean of the Chapter of St. Paul’s the desirability of perpetuating the memory of the late Mr. Sed- '• don, viz., the erection of a monuI ment and a plate in the inscription, l ' and this has been agreed to. Sir J. G. Ward visited the crypt in St. * Paul’s on Saturday night with AreliII deacon Sinclair with the object of 11 selecting a suitable site. The one considered by the St. Paul’s authori- ‘ ties most satisfactory is close to Sir G. Grey’s. Sir J. G. Ward meets New Zealanders to forward the movement. While in the crypt an unusual inci- ‘ dent occurred. A number of school children accompanied their tutors in j inspecting St. Paul’s, and were introduced, and Sir Joseph Ward was asked for a speech. He responds, . and at the conclusion was heartrfV thanked. The Navigation Conference concluded its sittings to-day. Important work has been done, and' it is generally considered of advantage to further the working of British shipping. The conference showed a distinct preference to the employment of British ships >etween England and tho colonics.